As the top international motor racing competition in the world, Formula 1 attracts a lot of attention from racing fans in all countries. It is the contest that all of the best drivers in the world want to win and the levels of competition are both elite and intense.
The races that make up the F1 season take place throughout the world, which ensures that fans everywhere have an investment in it. The most recent race in the 2023 season was the Canadian Grand Prix, held at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, and it was another notable event for Max Verstappen.
Verstappen Triumphs Again
The race provided the Dutch driver with yet another triumph. It marked his sixth win out of the eight races completed so far, but it also meant that his Red Bull Racing team has won every single race.
Verstappen claimed crucial successes in the Bahrain, Australian, Miami, Monaco, Spanish and Canadian Grand Prix races, while the Saudi Arabian and Azerbaijan races were won by his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez. It is a remarkable run for both and indicates total dominance of the field for one team up to now, but the question is whether the two drivers can maintain it.
They sit in first and second place in the standings, but the Dutchman is well out in front on 195 points to Perez’s 126. That means F1 fans are firing up their betting apps, putting it all on Verstappen to win the Drivers Championship.
It is hard to argue with that assessment. Not only does he look completely unstoppable in the RB19 car with its Honda engine, but he has won the last two F1 titles.
Both the driver and the car have already had to compete on highly varied race circuits and have annihilated the competition on each one. The rain-lashed track at Monaco was particularly challenging, but the Red Bull cars have provided a combination of unbeatable pace and the ability to handle all kinds of surfaces.
Coupled with the proven pedigree of Verstappen at this level, it is easy to see why he is widely predicted to claim a third Drivers’ Championship in a row. However it is still early in the season, so a lot can happen yet.
F1 Contenders
His main rival for the title looks as if it is Perez at the moment, but neither Fernando Alonso for Aston Martin or Lewis Hamilton for Mercedes can be written off. Alonso is in third spot on 117 points, while Hamilton is fourth on 102, but both are still seeking their first race win of the 2023 season.
It will be a big task for them to overhaul Verstappen at the top, although the Dutch driver is taking nothing for granted. Faced with the potential for a third title in a row as well as the opportunity to go the rest of the season unbeaten, he is playing down his chances.
Verstappen has been quoted as saying:
“I know it’s a very long championship, you need to be very consistent, you can barely afford mistakes, especially when it’s one team, one opponent really.”
It seems doubtful that any of the other three main contenders will be fooled by that modesty though: Verstappen is the clear favorite. Furthermore, although he is reserved about his own chances of the title and winning each remaining race, he has at least acknowledged the possibility that Red Bull Racing could win every Grand Prix.
In an article before the Spanish Grand Prix earlier in the month, Verstappen argued that while it definitely could happen, factors beyond control like poor qualifying round luck or accidents made it a tall order.
He has a point, as there is still more than half of the season left.
A Place among Legends
Winning the Canadian Grand Prix was enough to draw Verstappen level with all-time F1 legend Ayrton Senna on 41 career race victories. He could potentially catch the next figure on that illustrious list, Frenchman Alain Prost, by the end of this season.
A third Driver’s Championship will see him equal Senna on that score too, so Verstappen is on the brink of becoming a genuine motor racing giant. He has not highlighted these stats himself when discussing his prospects for the title and winning all remaining races, but he must be aware of them.
A clean sweep of the season for one team is a feat that has never been accomplished before in F1 history though. That should be borne in mind.
The Red Bull Racing cars are at the cutting edge of both design and engine power and are being driven by two of the finest drivers in the world, but winning every race would be incredible.
